1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns beverage dispensers and more particularly a dispenser for agitated or whipped beverages.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are presently a number of popular beverages sold in restaurants and fast-food businesses which are served in a whipped or foamed condition. That is, the beverage is agitated or whipped in the dispensing process to give the served beverage a foamy texture. Typically these beverages are made from a combination of a concentrate and a diluent, usually water. The concentrate by itself generally does not require refrigeration and has a shelf life of several months to over a year. However, when mixed with a diluent such as water or exposed to air, the combined beverage usually requires refrigeration to retard bacterial growth.
Generally, pre-mixed dispensers are used for serving whipped beverages. In a pre-mixed dispenser, a quantity of concentrate and diluent are pre-mixed and stored in a large volume refrigerated reservoir. The refrigerated reservoir is connected to a flow valve which is in turn connected to an agitation or whipping apparatus having a dispensing spout. To dispense the beverage, the flow valve is opened and the whipping apparatus simultaneously activated. The beverage flows from the refrigerated reservoir, through the flow valve, into the whipping apparatus to be dispensed in a whipped condition.
Pre-mixed dispensers suffers from a number of disadvantages. Even with refrigeration, some bacterial growth is present. Consequently, after a period of time, typically a few days, any remaining pre-mixed beverage should be discarded to maintain healthful quality and pleasing beverage taste. Since the whipping assembly portion of the dispenser is usually not refrigerated, it is typically necessary to disassemble and clean the whipping assembly on a daily basis to remove accumulated beverage residue remaining in the whipping apparatus. Because some beverage remains in the whipping apparatus after each serving, it is also possible for bacterial growth to affect the taste and quality of a later beverage serving if a sufficient period of time elapses between servings.
Thus, there presently exists a need for a whipped beverage dispenser which does not require refrigeration of a quantity of pre-mixed beverage or daily disassembly of the whipping apparatus for cleaning, and which provides some mechanism for preventing the accumulation of beverage residue within the whipping assembly.